This album of
roots
- and
Latin
-flavored
dream pop
is hard to shake.
Fernando Viciconte
has a pleasant rasp of a voice that can come off like
Wilco
's
Jeff Tweedy
or even
John Lennon
at times. (The latter particularly on
"Away."
) The songcraft is gorgeous, varied, and highly original, however, whether it be the way the plaintive Spanish trumpet sails in just as
Fernando
purrs "â?¦clarion call" on
"The Jackal,"
the driving
indie rock
of
"Blue Room,"
or the stark, cascading beauty of
"White Light."
There are also plenty of
Beatlesque
flourishes, while
"Killer Awaits"
showcases
Fernando's
country-folk
roots. This is a stunningly pretty album by a criminally overlooked Portland, OR, artist.
Dreams of the Sun and Sky
is packed with gorgeous mystery. ~ Erik Hage